Bøger i Environmental Contamination Remediation and Management serien

This edited book brings together a diverse group of researchers to address the challenges posed by global mass poisoning caused by lead contamination of soil and plants. Lead is among the elements that have been most extensively used by man over time. This has led to extensive pollution of surface soils on the local scale, mainly associated with mining and smelting of the metal and addition of organic lead compounds to petrol. Release of lead to the atmosphere from various high-temperature processes has led to surface contamination on the regional and even global scale. Lead is particularly strongly bound to humic matter in organic-rich soil and to iron oxides in mineral soil and is rather immobile in the soil unless present at very high concentrations. In addition, plants grown on lead-rich soils incorporate lead and thus the concentration of lead in crop plants may be increased. Lead enters in the food chain through consumption of plant material. A high concentration of lead has been found to be harmful to vegetation. As the lead concentration increases, it adversely affects several biological parameters and eventually renders the soil barren. The book sheds light on this global environmental issue and proposes solutions to contamination through multi-disciplinary approaches.This book contains three sections. First section describes the different sources and distribution of lead in soil and plant ecosystems. Second section explains the health risks linked to lead toxicity. Third section addresses sustainable lead toxicity mitigation strategies using the potential applications of recent biological technology.This book is a valuable resource to students, academics, researchers, and environmental professionals doing field work on contamination throughout the world.

Environmental contaminants are chemicals that accidentally or deliberately enter the environment, often, but not always, as a result of human activities. Some of these contaminants may have been manufactured for industrial use, and because they are very stable, they do not break down easily. If released to the environment, these contaminants may enter the food chain. Other environmental contaminants are naturally occurring chemicals, but industrial activity may increase their mobility or increase the amount available to circulate in the environment, allowing them to enter the food chain at higher levels than would otherwise occur. Environmental contaminants influence the physiological cell reactions at different and heterogeneous basics and lead to altering in normal cell function primarily at the molecular and biochemical level. Molecular responses to such common environmental stresses have been studied intensively over the last few years, in which there is an intricate network of signaling pathways controlling perception of these environmental stress signals, the generation of second messengers and signal transduction. Recent advances in many areas of plant and microbial research, including genotyping, make scientists optimistic that valuable solutions will be found to allow deployment/commercialization of strategies better able to tolerate these environmental stresses.Environmental remediation was historically viewed as an inherently sustainable activity, as it restores contamination; however, researchers and practitioners are increasingly recognizing that there can be substantial environmental footprints and socioeconomic costs associated with remediation. Sustainability is an imperative in the emerging green and sustainable remediation movement, which is reshaping the entire remediation industry.Understanding the significant roles of sustainable or eco-friendly approaches in mitigating environmental contaminants, the current subject has recently attracted the attention of scientists from across the globe. This comprehensive volume "e;Sustainable Management of Environmental Contaminants: Eco-friendly Remediation Approaches"e; highlights the various prospects involved in current scenario. The current volume comprises the chapters from diverse areas dealing with biotechnology, microbial technology, nanotechnology, molecular biology, green and sustainable remediation, etc. I am hopeful that this volume will furnish the requisite of all those who are working or have interest in the current topic.

This book focuses on the topic of ecotoxicology of aquatic macrophytes and is wide ranging, including the use of macrophytes for remediation of contaminated sites. Many human activities are threats to the equilibrium of natural ecosystems. Pollution from point and non-point sources can be assessed using a variety of techniques, such as biomonitoring, biomarkers and biosensors. In aquatic ecosystems, biomonitoring of pollutants is mostly conducted by analysis of the tissues of invertebrates and fishes, and biomarker studies are also more widely applied to animals rather than in plants. Aquatic macrophytes occupy a key niche in aquatic ecosystems and provide a range of ecosystem services. In addition to their role in primary production, vegetation plays a key role in the cycling and retention of nutrients and generally acts as a sink for pollutants. Therefore, because of their importance to aquatic ecosystems, more attention should be paid to understanding the fate of pollutants and to developing methods to evaluate the health status of macrophytic plants in freshwater, marine and estuarine environments.

Furthermore, the distribution of plastic in the ocean is not independent of terrestrial ecosystem dynamics, since much of the plastic in marine ecosystems originates from land and should therefore be evaluated in the context of the larger plastic cycle.

This book describes how natural or constructed wetlands can be used to reduce pollution of freshwater and coastal ecosystems, while still preserving their biodiversity and ecological functions.

This book describes how natural or constructed wetlands can be used to reduce pollution of freshwater and coastal ecosystems, while still preserving their biodiversity and ecological functions.